Enchanting Shimmer
by theroxgurl
Summary: A Noah and Gwen story. Gwen is heartbroken with her breakup with Ethan. She is all alone. Can she ever love again?
1. Sadness and a New Hello

Enchanting Shimmer  
  
A Noah and Gwen Story  
  
Chapter One: Hurtful Goodbyes and Loving Acquaintances  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ethan! I love you so much," said Gwen, sobbing helplessly. "Please don't leave me. I love you...I love you," repeated Gwen.  
  
Ethan had so much hurt in his eyes that you could tell he truely cared about her.  
  
"Gwen, I love you. I always will. But I don't think we are right together, honey."  
  
"Ethan. How could we not be right for eachother? We have been in love with eachother since before I can remember," said Gwen, continueing to sob.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"I understand whats going on. Ever since Theresa began dating Fox, you have been determined to win her back. 'You never know what you had until you lose it', they always say. I understand, Ethan. I'm not good enough for you!" Gwen screamed and took off running. Her heels clicked as she ran and the snow was coming down heavily. The ground was covered and it was beautiful.  
  
"How could you do this to me Ethan? I loved you with all of my heart. We grew up together." She ran all the way to the park and sat down on a bench. She sat and thought back about all of the times she had shared with Ethan. She had loved him so much and her heart was truly broken. Gwen thought about her baby Sarah and the pain she had experienced when losing her. Then it dawned on her: She was all alone. There was no one who would be there for her. She sat there for about 30 minutes with tears flowing down her face.  
  
"Are you okay, miss?" asked a voice that inturrupted Gwen's thoughts. She looked up to see a very handsome looking man with golden brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked very concerned as he placed his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"No, I'm not okay. It doesn't really matter does it? Nobody cares......" She trailed away and then finally asked, "Who are you?"  
  
"Noah. Noah Bennett. Who are you?"  
  
"Gwen."  
  
"Nice to meet you Gwen," said Noah as he extended his hand.  
  
Tears had finally stopped flowing and she took his hand in hers and stared.  
  
He sat down next to her on the wooden bench and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
"No...no. I'd rather not."  
  
He grabbed her hand in his and held it. "Hey. Everything's going to be okay," he said, soothingly, "Would you like to come back to my dad's house? He's fixing some dinner. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you joined us."  
  
"Oh, I don't know."  
  
"Please? I would really like for you to. There's not need for you to be alone on Christmas."  
  
"Ok, sure. I would love to, I am a little hungry. But only if it's okay with you."  
  
They rose up off the bench and they walked side by side to their destination. 


	2. Christmas Dinner

•Chapter Two: The Destination•

Walking to their destination was much easier than Gwen ever thought. The tears that had been flowing so sadly, but eloquently down her cheeks had dried and she felt content and safe for once. Her mind began flowing with thoughts. "Why in the world have I accepted an invitation from a complete stranger?" She looked up at him strangely, and then his name floated through her head. Noah Bennett. "Why does that name sound so familiar?" She said aloud without realizing it.

"Bennett? You probably know my father, Sam."

"Oh. Did I say that out loud? Sorry. I meant to say that in my -- in my head."

Noah laughed at her comment and Gwen began taking his sight in: a wonderful smile and a contagious laugh. She smiled as she continued to look at him now and again. He had golden-brown hair and deep chocolate-hazel eyes. He had a nice jawbone, and his cheeks had stubbles. The stubbles looked incredibly sexy on him and Gwen couldn't help but like the way he looked. She decided that he looked almost like Sam, but she could see Grace in him, as well. When she was in first grade, Gwen had a secret crush on Sam Bennett, the police officer who rescued her from a fire at her school. Now, Chief of the Harmony police department, she no longer crushed over him, but for many reasons, she admired him.

"So, your dad is really Chief Bennett?" Gwen asked, breaking the small silence between them. "That's Ethan's father, too, he..." her voice trailed away as the image of Ethan's disgusting face entered into her thoughts. She was so disgusted by him that she wanted to puke.

"Yes?" asked Noah.

"Oh, never mind. It's not important."

"Ethan you say? Ahh, yes. The ex-Crane heir himself. I laughed when he was disinherited. Could never stand the guy."

"Well, he's your half-brother, so you better get used to him."

"I know. I've never met him actually, I've just heard things about him."

"You can never be too sure about what you hear," replied Gwen, not really sure why she was defending the bastard.

"Yeah, well, he is the son -- or WAS the son -- of Julian Crane. That man is evil. And then there's Alistair Crane: the head of the Crane Empire. If anyone is more ruthless than Alistair, I sure haven't met them yet. That family is ice cold. They don't care about anyone but themselves and I just don't trust any of them. The only Crane that isn't evil is Sheridan. And she's engaged to marry Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, so I guess I kinda have to a approve of her don't I? Luis being my dad's best police officer."

Gwen nodded now and again, understanding every word of what he was speaking. She had seen it first hand growing up around Ethan. She understood. Now that her mother, Rebecca Hotchkiss, was on her way of snagging Julian as her own, she didn't know what she would do. Julian and her mother, being sex-partners every day of the year, seriously disgusted Gwen, and whenever she walked in on them playing their "games" she swore that she would never speak to her mother again. How could anyone be that disgusting? "Mother isn't any better than the Cranes," she thought. When Rebecca filed for divorce against Jonathan, Gwen was heartbroken. She loved her father with everything she had. When she saw that her mother would throw away anything for money, she decided that she didn't want to marry for money, but for love. Of course, Ethan was a Crane at the time, and supposedly had millions, but she seriously and truly loved him. When she learned that Ethan was Sam's son, the thought of money never entered her head.

"Oh no," said Gwen, looking shocked.

"What's wrong?" asked Noah, showing concern.

"Is Ethan going to be at your house for dinner?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I tried talking them out of it, but Dad just wouldn't hear of it."

"Then I'm sorry, Noah, but I just can't go to your house," said Gwen, beginning to walk away.

"Now, now, wait just a minute there. I was looking forward to bringing you home with me. What's wrong? I know it has to do with Ethan, but what exactly did he do to you?"

"It's a long story. Let me just save your time by leaving you alone." This time she was determined to leave, but instead of leaving, he grabbed her arm by his hand, and pulled her close. The left side of her body was touching his chest as he whispered next to her ear,

"Tell me. We've got time." She could feel his chest rise and fall against her breast.

"I -- Um -- I - Okay," she stuttered nervously.

"Good," he smiled. He placed his hand on her back as she walked to a bench just a few feet from the back door of the Bennett house and they sat down in the cold.

Gwen talked for thirty minutes, explaining everything Ethan had done to her. From dating both Theresa and herself at the same time, from choosing Theresa and proposing her. To leaving Theresa and coming back to herself, and then leaving her again when her baby Sarah had died. She even explained his childhood and what his other siblings went through because of him. She explained everything, heartbroken and wounded. Tears started to flow down her cheeks again as the events ran through her head.

"So now you can see, Noah, that I could never go to your house. If I run into Ethan, hard telling what'll happen."

"That's horrible. But, Gwen, you know what? It's his loss, okay? And – and remember, I invited you. -- And why were you defending him earlier? You have every right to hate him. I don't know why you were trying to get me to like the bastard. I've heard all kinds of things about him besides this. You would never imagine what I've heard." As a friend, Noah rubbed her back and helped her up. "Will you please go with me?"

"Noah, I -- I can't."

"Please? I just can't believe that you're wasting your tears over this loser. He's not worth it."

Deciding that she would never win this argument, she walked into the warm and toasty Bennett house beside Noah. A delicious, mouth-watering aroma filled the air in the kitchen. Gwen saw pies stacked neatly on a rack, mashed potatoes sitting on the table, and rolls placed neatly next to those. And the scent of turkey entered into her nose.

"Dad? Mom?" Noah yelled as he removed his coat and helped Gwen remove hers. Gwen rubbed her hands frantically over her arms, trying to keep warm.

"Noah?" Sam asked, as he trudged down the stairs into the kitchen and saw his son standing there with a beautiful woman that he recognized almost instantly.

"Gwen! What are you doing here? Don't you look beautiful."

"You've met her, Dad?"

"Of course, Son. She's Rebecca's daughter. And she's engaged to Ethan, my son -- your half-brother."

"Um, actually she's not engaged, but is it okay if she stays for dinner?"

"What? She's not engaged? I could have swore Ethan told me a few days ago that they were."

"Well they aren't."

"Why?"

"Why don't you just ask Ethan, okay? Is it alright if she stays for dinner?"

"Sure," replied Sam as Grace entered into the kitchen.

"Gwen! What a surprise. You look so lovely."

"Hi, Grace. How are you? I haven't seen in you in a while," said Gwen, opening her arms for a hug.

"Oh, I am just fine, a bit tired, but fine. How are you? You never know what your mother is up to these days. No offense, but your mother has caused so much pain on Pilar's family. I just can't stand that woman."

"Non taken. I know what my mother is capable of, and sometimes I just can't stand what she does. Anyhow. It is all right that I stay for dinner? You wouldn't mind?" asked Gwen.

"Sure, sure. You are always welcome in my house."

"Thank you," replied Gwen.

Noah looked Gwen over while she was speaking to his mother. Her blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail that made her face look beautiful. She had brown eyes, and was just a few inches shorter than he was. He suspected that she was about 5'6 or so.

"Can I help with anything, Grace?" Gwen asked, wanting to help.

"Um -- Can you help set the table? I need to check on the turkey. The plates and such are in the cabinet behind you there," replied Grace, pointing.

With Gwen's back turned to the door that led into the living room, someone entered.

"Oh! Noah," said Sam, "I'd like you to meet Ethan. Ethan, this is Noah, your half-brother."

Noah, with many thoughts of hate in his head, slowly shook his hand. Gwen, noticing that Ethan had entered, didn't turn, but stared straight ahead at the cabinet. Hoping that he would just leave and never return.

"Nice to meet you," they both said in unison.

As Ethan was shaking Noah's hand, he looked over the room, noticing that there was a woman standing there whom he hadn't met yet -- or so he thought. "So, Noah, who's the lovely lady you've brought home?"

Before Noah could say a word, Gwen turned ever so slowly, looking down at her feet and slowly raising her head to meet Ethan's eyes. Ethan's eyes looked shocked.

"--Gwen. What are you doing here?" he asked, wondering what in the hell she was doing with his half-brother. And for some reason, he was furious. Apparently, in his head, he believed that Gwen was still his territory. He looked Noah up and down, expecting an answer.

"What are you looking at half-brother? I invited her, alright? You dumped her and guess what? That's your loss, pretty boy." Said Noah, sharply.

"Gwen, you couldn't have came with Noah willingly, he must have forced you, right?" asked Ethan, unable to except the inevitable.

Ethan had heard many things about Noah, his half-brother. Sure, he was his blood relation, but that doesn't make him perfect.

Gwen, having trouble speaking, finally said, "Ethan. Noah did not force me to come. He _invited_ me. He treated me with _respect_, much less I can say about you." Hatred and hurt danced in her light brown eyes. She was having trouble holding back her tears, but she was managing. Her heart was beating about a million times a minute, and there was a big lump in her throat that just wasn't going away. Ethan grabbed her by the arm and led her into the living room. Noah, feeling protective, almost jumped in front of them, but stopped. He just met Gwen not too long ago. This wasn't his battle.

"Gwen! How could you come here today of all days with HIM?" asked Ethan with hurtful and amazed eyes.

"Like I said, he invited me, Ethan. Let go of my arm!"

"You don't even KNOW him," yelled Ethan, still not letting go of her arm.

'What's there to know? He is truly amazing and he understands me. Sure, we've just met, but I'd much rather be with him than you any day."

Ethan stared ferociously at Gwen, wanting to knock some sense into Noah for even LOOKING at her the wrong way.

"Let go! You're hurting me!"

Ethan finally let go and said, "Gwen, Noah's been in jail, okay? He's no good for you! You just gotta know that. He's probably going to hurt you if you get too close. Emotionally and physically."

"How would you know? Why do I even believe a _word _that comes out of your good for nothing mouth?"

"Because I do! Okay?"

"Well, mister big shot. If you know so much, what was he in for?"

"Attempted Murder."


End file.
